By Frederick M. Hueston PhD

www.stoneforensics.com

www.GoDrFred.com

The following is a reprint of an article I wrote back in 1990. I have edited some of the text to bring it up to date. My opinion on this process is still the same as it was in 1990. With that said there are some uses for this process, however care must be exercised in its use. Most of the damage I have seen since 1990 by this process results from the overuse of the product as well as the lack of trained personnel who apply it. The following reprint should give you some useful information on this process and the care that must be used when using it. In addition keep in mind that the chemicals contained in this process are not sustainable(Green) and can be extremely harmful to the user as well as occupants of the building it is used in.

To answer the problems experienced by customers who had dull and scratched marble. I tried to find the best and most practical solution to the restoration of their marble floors, walls, etc.

Since this is a relatively small industry, there weren’t too many good sources. I did find some self-proclaimed “experts” who introduced me to the idea of “re-crystallization” as a safe and easy method of restoring and polishing marble and stone. They touted it as a time proven process which had its roots in the marble industry in Europe. It was alleged to be safe, easy to apply and was both slip resistant and permanent. In short, it was the perfect solution for most marble restoration and maintenance problems.

Having been raised in the “old” school, I instinctively doubt anything that appears “too good to be true”. Experience has taught me that most of those “too good to be true statements” usually turn out to be exactly that!

My business reputation is at stake whenever I recommend or use a product or procedure. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. So, I endeavored to get answers to some specific questions about this “re-crystallization” process (from the systems’ promoters).

Question #1. Does the “re-crystallization” process contain waxes?

Crystallization Answer: No.

Question #2. Does the process allow the stone to breath (transpire)?

Crystallization Answer: Vague generalizations and evasive replicas.

Question #3. How does “re-crystallization” react with stone?

Crystallization Answer: Evasive generalizations.

These evasive non-answers surprised me. Perhaps there was something that these crystallization “experts” did not know—or did not want me to know.

Though I am in stone consultation business, my formal education is in Chemistry. I had a natural curiosity about this wondrous process called “re-crystallization”. After all, if it worked, it would be great for my business. I determined to do some research on my own. Following is a summary of my research.

TERMS

The term “crystallization” is defined as the process by which a substance takes the form of a crystal structure. Most minerals are crystal shaped. The term “re-crystallization” implies that a substance has been crystallization a second time. In other words, changed from one crystal shape to another.

In geology, re-crystallization takes place—under great pressure at high temperatures— deep in the earth and over thousands of years. My research showed that the natural re-crystallization of minerals such as those found in stone is unlikely to be obtained with the so-called packaged chemical “re-crystallization method” being marketed by a number of companies. We can therefore assume that the term “re-crystallization” is used only as a marketing term.

For the purpose of this article, we will use this term—re-crystallization—only as a description of the chemical process that follows.

METHODOLOGY

I obtained Material Safety Data Sheets (required by OSHA for all chemical products) from a good sample of “re-crystallization” product distributors.

From them, I learned that all the “re-crystallization products contained a fluorosilicate compound. All contained an acid of one type or another and almost all contained varying percentages of waxes and acrylics.

To understand how these ingredients react with marble, one needs to understand the makeup(natural composition) of marble, itself. The main constituent of marble is a compound called Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium Carbonate, along with other accessory minerals, makes up what we know as marble.

When an acid is dropped on marble it will burn and etch the surface leaving a pitted, dull spot. The reaction (Formula 1) illustrates what happens when an acid and marble come in contact with one another. The bond between the calcium and the carbonate is broken, producing water and carbon dioxide gas and the calcium carbonate is destroyed. In other words, acid destroys marble. All re-crystallization fluids contain acids.

If you have any doubts, place a drop of re-crystallization fluid on a piece of marble, wait just 30 seconds and wipe it off. You will find that it has etched.

FORMULA 1

CaCo3 + HCL —————à Ca+ Co3 + H2O

The main ingredient used in re-crystallization fluid is a group of compounds called flurosilicons. Three types of fluorosilicates can be found in re-crystallization fluids: (1) Aluminum fluorosilicate (2) Magnesium fluorosilicate and (3) Zinc Fluorosilicate.

First used in 1883, flurosilicate compounds were used in an attempt to preserve marble statues that were crumbling. The effects of these compounds on stone were studied by several researchers and were found to have detrimental effects on the stone.

It was found that flourosilicates deposit an enamel on the surface of the stone which completely blocks its pores. The stone suffocates, begins to break apart and rot. The results of these studies can be found in the book Stone Decay and Conservation written by Glovanni G Amoroso and Vasco Passins—ELSEVIER, Amsterdam, Lausanne, Oxford, New York 1983.

The re-crystallization process uses an acid that attacks the calcium carbonate in the stone (Reaction 1). This reaction destroys the calcium carbonate and releases the calcium ion. The fluorosilicate compound then attaches itself to the calcium ion forming a new compound (Reaction 2 & 3). This new compound, calcium fluorosilicate forms an imperious film on the surface of the stone—totally blocking its pores.

REACTION 1

Ca CO3 + —————-> Ca++AC +H2O + CO2

REACTION 2

MgSiF6. H2O + Ca++ ——————>CaSiF6

REACTION 3

ZnSiF6.H2O + Ca++ ——————–>CaSiF6

Based on the preceding facts. I have reached the following conclusions:

FACT: Marble and stone must breathe (transpire). If the pores are blocked, moisture from the slab (condensation, etc.) will be trapped and the stone will begin to break down.

FACT: The re-crystallization process places an impermeable coating of fluorosilicates on the stone, completely blocking its pores.

FACT: Acid will destroy marble and stone.

FACT: All crystallization fluids contain acids.

The above facts are clear and incontrovertible evidence. What is even more startling are the dozens of marble floors and walls I have seen that have been destroyed by this process.

Along with other responsible stone restoration firms in the industry. I urge anyone—even thinking about allowing a “crystallization” process to be used—to test the proposed products on a marble sample and judge the results for yourself. You will find the rapid deterioration of the marble frightening.

For the names of responsible stone restoration firms, you are invited to write Building Stone Institute, Marble Care and Maintenance Companies, 420 Lexington Ave. New York, New York 10170.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE IN THE TRADE:

The extensive marketing of restoration methods using “re-crystallization “ is a very serious matter for everyone in the industry. The alarming increase in the number of complaints regarding permanently damaged marble and other stone floors and walls is hardly conducive to increased sales and use of our fine products. This damage could have— and should have—been avoided, I urge you to advise all your customers of the potential damage from any of these “re-crystallization” methods being marketed. Now that we know exactly what this so-called “re-crystallization” process is, we can answer the frequently asked question—Can a floor or wall that has been “re-crystallized” be saved?

Here are some guidelines:

First, determine that crystallization has actually been used. For a start, ask the customer. Some will tell you, others will flatly deny it, and still others simply won’t know.

If the shine on the marble or stone looks wavy (acrylic looking) then you can be fairly sure there is some type of coating on it. It is relatively easy to determine the type of coating. To do this two chemicals are needed: (1) a commercial wax stripper and (2) methyl chloride (wood furniture stripper).

Place a small amount of each chemical on the stone. If the commercial wax stripper removes the film then you are dealing with an acrylic type finish. Simply remove the finish with the stripper before starting the normal restoration or polishing process.

If the commercial stripper does not remove the coating but the methyl chloride does, then you have a urethane based coating. Remove it with methyl chloride or grind it off.

If neither one of these strippers removes the coating, the chances are it has been re-crystallized.

Another reliable clue is the presence of swirls on the marble (or other stone). These are caused by the use of steel wool during the re-crystallization machining process.

Make sure that before you attempt any polishing or grinding that you have determined the type of coating on the marble (stone). Be aware that there may be more than one coating—possibly an acrylic coating placed on top of a re-crystallization” coating, test several areas, to be sure.

If it is discovered that the marble (stone) has been re-crystallized—can it be saved?

This will depend on the severity of damage. For example. Travertine and Crema Marfil will exhibit damage almost immediately. Other stones, such as granite, will take longer. Still others will not show any apparent damage until the re-crystallized layer begins to wear off. It pays to become familiar with the various types of marbles and other stones.

There are a few general rules to determine the extent of damage.

These higher the CaCO3, the more destructive the re-crystallization will have been.

The greater the number of applications of re-crystallization—over a period of time—the greater the chance of irreversible damage.

The veining in some marble will be adversely affected first. If these veined areas crumble easily, when probed with a blunt instrument, the stone may be damaged beyond repair. If the amount of veining is not too extensive, it may be saved by filling with a poly resin such as Akemi.

Perform several Patch Tests. Grind the stone and bring it up to a polish. If the stone polishes, the chance are it can be saved. CAUTION: make absolutely sure you have removed the re-crystallized layer entirely. We recommend starting with a 60 grit for most stones.

A FINAL WARNING: some of the companies have begun to eliminate the term “re-crystallization” and are substituting “marble polishing” or “Vitrification”. Be cautious. Even if it carries the name of a nationally known chemical firm, check their claims. Ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheets. If the process contains fluorosilicates, do not use it. The hard sell “marketing” (selling franchises) of these products is bringing us very close to an epidemic of severely damaged marble (stone) floors. A few clients (who simply did not know better), having just installed brand new marble floors, have had terrible damage done to them. We all know that there is no such thing as a totally “maintenance free” floor. Marble, granite, slate—whatever—must be maintained. The type of maintenance varies with use. Obviously, an entrance foyer of a residence requires a very different maintenance schedule than the lobby of a downtown high-rise office building or a major hotel.

Maintenance can be done quite simply, using recommended products and procedures. However, after extensive wear and tear—over a long period of time— a client may wish to have professional restoration work done. This can best be achieved by employing a responsible firm using traditional methods. These firms will look at an installation and provide a written estimate not only of the costs involved (usually figured on a square foot basis) gut also the materials to be used. They should have their own equipment—and trained crews— who have quality experience with the marble and other stone floors.

Fast Tube by Casper

This is a short video that shows our grout removal process.

I can’t really remember when the change came (consumer rejection of carpet with colors like green, blue or mauve) to white, off white and beige, but it happened long enough ago that there are very few homes with colored carpet. I have always suspected the reason for favoring neutral tones was that the homeowner could more easily market the house if they had a reason to move. That reason combined with the emergence of “stain resist” wear warranties made white and off white ideal selections. We all know the stain resist warranties work exactly as they were intended, but the problem is the consumer thought stain resistant meant soil resistant. As far as we know there is no soil resistant carpet.

Another factor adding to this maintenance nightmare is the design selection of tile in a substantial portion of many homes as well. Since a large segment of the population don’t remove their shoes at the doorway, the heavy traffic areas formerly found at the entryway have now been moved to the entryway of each bedroom. People are staying home more now to home office or because of retirement. Combine these with the economy of the last couple of years, where professional cleaning is often put off far past the point where it is required, and you have a perfect storm set of challenges facing the cleaner.

These challenges include:
1-Trying to remove the visible soiling in walk areas, especially the “U” from the master bedroom door to the master bath (which is tile of course).
2- The desire not to completely strip out the stain resistant feature built into the carpet. Although the stain resist has warranty requirements that are voided after not having the carpet professionally cleaned every 12 months, it seems wrong to just go to a high pH chemical right off the bat that would remove it.

We are a small company and have the luxury of taking the time to pile lift the carpet, apply safe pH cleaner with a cimex, and then extract with a truck mounted cleaning machine. This procedure has always yield fantastic results, but it is getting tougher. We have used a chemspec formula 161 (pH 9 and wool safe) for years and it has provided a good solution. We also meter a neutral pH extraction detergent.

We encourage or homeowners to get rid of the shoes, get more mats, and vacuum like crazy as alternative solutions if they have to put off cleaning. We also tell them it needs to be done more frequently. At some point we are going to ask if they want the carpet clean (with a high pH chemical) or do they want the stain resist component preserved.

November 13, 2008 by admin dirtygrout.com

An article by Maurizio Bertoli, Director of Education of the ITCS

The past 12 to 15 years witnessed the birth and phenomenal surge of a type of product for which nobody had ever felt the need for since mankind started to use stone, which means since the stone-age. All of a sudden, the last decade of the twentieth century brought about the awareness that, without it, we could no longer live.

I’m talking about sealers for stone, also more appropriately referred to as “impregnators.”

What happened, that caused this kind of frantic need for something that nobody ever needed before just about overnight?

Ignorance happened!

North America and most Northern European countries (that had no stone culture to speak of) were fascinated by a product that they always admired and craved for, but could never afford. The affordability factor, however, was not as much a cost issue, as it was an issue of lack of the specific craftsmanship necessary to process it. I’m talking about marble, limestone, granite, etc. Up until a couple of generation ago, stone tiles finished in the factory had not even been invented yet, and the slabs were delivered to the fabrication shop right off the gang-saw; that is, neither one of their two faces were calibrated and polished like they are now. It was the fabricator that had to process the surface of one side of the slab, by calibrating it (grinding), honing and polishing! All this without mentioning the machinery and tooling that were available back then! Marble and granite floors were made by using unfinished cuts of stone (the only ones available) that were set directly on the mud bed, then ground and finished on the premises (“grind-in-place” method). And that – all the processing, that is – is the main factor that makes the craftsmen involved understand stone.

New processing techniques in the quarries and manufacturing plants, brought about an impressive reduction of costs, along with the great idea of ready-to-use products, such as polished marble and granite tiles, or almost ready-to-use, such as pre-finished marble and granite slabs.

All of a sudden, the whole world was flooded with such enticing and legendary materials like marble, granite and other stones, which were offered in a way where expertise and craftsmanship were no longer needed (or were they still?) and at prices that were getting more and more affordable.

Buying and selling stuff that’s manufactured in some mysterious way, in some far off factory, doesn’t make anyone any more intelligent about whatever it is that one’s trading. Processing it does. But it’s not the case here, remember?!… All the processing had been done by the factory; all we needed were just plain setters, or contractors that could use a saw and learn how to polish edges; and we could find plenty of them at a dime a dozen!

Installing and cutting material that was made ready-to-use in some mysterious way, in some far off factory doesn’t make anybody anymore intelligent about such material, does it? Once again, only processing does. That’s why stone restoration / refinishing is the very pinnacle of all stone related activities: It’s the only one that actually processes the stone! And to do that, one must know stone.

Are we beginning to get the picture? If you add to the mix the huge number of “new” stones that all of a sudden started appearing on the marketplace from all corners of the planet (and counting), and the almost total lack of self-regulation of the stone industry, which has been desperately trying to “keep things simple” with the consequence being that the situation is so confusing that nobody knows what actual stone one’s looking at, you have a big melting pot where only one ingredient is brewing: Ignorance. And to the best of my knowledge, nothing intelligent ever came out from it.

Without knowing which one stone was good for what, and without any official guidance, wrong choices and specifications became the rule, rather than the exception (the exception, in fact, was a strike of pure luck in many instances), and problems of an unknown nature started springing up from all over the place, and still counting, of course!

A solution was badly needed. But, alas, with the benefit of a precious few exceptions, the importers/distributors don’t know the first thing about stone. The fabricators are just about there themselves, since they get their stone “education” from salesmen and invoices. And the setters? What on earth have they got to do with stone knowledge? They only install it! What about the original producers? Well, quarry owners/operators usually know their own stone, period. So, if for instance you’re considering a marble quarry and processing plant, and you go back to the owners and question them why their marble “stains” so easily when it’s installed, say, in a kitchen, all they could honestly do would be to break the news that’s the wrong material for the wrong application, but such a “solution” – the only sensible one — would certainly not be satisfactory, would it? It would mean going back to school and learn something about stone, and nobody has time for that! Something “better” and “easier” was needed!

It is the general perception that when a material turns out to be delicate and difficult to maintain, it needs to be “sealed”. The picture that most people have in their mind about a sealer and its expected performance is of some sort of “cocoon” that envelops the item to be preserved and protected, and turns it into an enjoyable, bulletproof material. With this picture in their minds, the major operators of the stone trade started soliciting chemists from all over the planet to find a sealer for stone that would solve all problems and could make them go away without stone knowledge. Of course the chemists – who don’t know the first thing about petrography – started out by asking the BIG QUESTION: “What seems to be the problem?” The answer came in like a unanimous choir: “STAINING!” Hearing that, off they went to work to solve a problem that they perceived as related to absorbency, due to the natural porosity inherent of all dimensional stones.

And “The-miracle-in-a-bottle” made its trumpeted appearance on the international scene of the stone industry, and in a very short period of time became the “necessity” and what I consider one of the most overrated, over-promoted and over-applied (not to mention ill-applied) products in mankind’s history! A domestic company – one of the pioneers of the bottled solution – even called itself “Miracle” to anticipate what one could expect from their “one-medicine-cure-all” product!

Did it work?

When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. What’s more, no matter how you slice it, there’s no substitute for true knowledge and professionalism. The much heralded “miracle-in-a-bottle” was not to be an exception!

The was majority of the problems related to stone were stemming from their wrong specification, in part due to sheer ignorance about the real nature (geological classification) of the stone itself, and in part due to the total hostility at listening to reason displayed by all too many specifiers. No canned “solution” will ever be able to overcome that!

So then, are all these sealers (impregnators) nothing but a bunch of useless marketing gimmicks?

No, they are not. But before we go any further, let’s try to understand what a sealer for stone is, how it works and what kind of protection it offers.

For starters, impregnating sealers are two-part products: one is the carrier, which could be mineral solvent or just plain water, while the other part is the solid, a resin of sort that will do the actual sealing. The most popular resins are silicone, silane, siloxane, ester epoxy, fluorocarbon alphatic (a.k.a. fluorochemicals). Currently, the latter are recognized as the best and longer-lasting performers, plus they are the easier to make in a formulation that can be carried by water, thus eliminating the use of volatile and hazardous mineral solvent.

Second and very important, is the fact that sealers for stone are not topical products like any other sealer people are familiar with. In fact, they are below-the-surface sealers. The first implication of this is the fact that a sealer for stone will not offer any protection to the surface of the stone itself from wear and tear or chemical attacks. The second implication is the fact that a sealer for stone will not alter in any way, shape or form the original finish on the stone surface that was either produced by the factory, or by a stone refinishing contractor. The most important phase of the application of a sealer for stone is to make sure that every residue of the product is thoroughly removed from the surface of the stone, before it has a chance to dry. This means that, at the end of the application of the sealer, the surface of the stone will be as bare as it was before the sealer was applied to it.

That being said, let’s now elaborate the principle of a below-the-surface sealer. The product goes inside the stone; the carrier (water or mineral solvent) evaporates, while the solid part (the resin) will remain inside to clog the pores of the stone to an average depth of approximately 1mm. (The more porous the stone is, the deeper the impregnator will go.) Now how does an impregnating sealer go inside the stone? Quite simply, by being absorbed by it: the product is applied on the surface of the stone, which in turn will absorb it.
So far, so good! But… Mother Nature never meant to make things simple and equal. While every stone this side of mono-mineral rocks (e.i.: most gemstones) are absorbent to a certain degree, when their degree of absorbency is 0.2% by weight or less, it will hardly absorb anything: the surface tension of the stone will not allow anything in, if not under extreme circumstances. What this translates into is the fact that many stones will not absorb the sealer, but on the other hand they will not absorb any staining agent, either. Hence, the application of an impregnating sealer to those stones is a total waste of time, money and also with the distinct possibility of the development of future “mysterious” problems if the residue of the product (actually 100% of it!) will not be completely removed, which is seldom the case.

Another factor to be taken into consideration is the way the surface of the stone is finished. The absorbency rate of stone is measured by the increase of the weight of a given sample after being totally immersed in water for a pre-determined period of time. The percentile represented by the difference in weight before and after is the rate of absorbency of the given sample of rock. But… the sample is just a rough piece of rock with all its pores open to the max. However, stone is not delivered and installed in that way: one face of the slab or tile will be finished by the factory, either to a polish-finish or hone-finish or whatever. This can make a huge difference; for instance, if we take travertine, we can see that its absorbency rate is on or around 0.4-1.0%. It’s a rather dense stone, but in its natural state it will absorb liquids – even if not much; but once it’s finished either polished or honed or even tumbled, the surface tension of travertine will become so tight that liquids will rarely go in – including the sealer, of course. Most marbles have absorbency rates between 0.1% to 0.5%. When highly polished their surface tension will not allow any liquid in. What’s interesting noticing, however, is that certain hone-finished marbles will absorb some liquid. Why is that, if on paper they are less absorbent than travertine? Because for some strange physical phenomenon, the surface tension of travertine is higher than the surface tension of the average marble, and therefore, in real life term, travertine will effectively absorb less than marble.

Yet another factor to be taken into consideration is if the stone is installed on grade and/or outdoors. After some serious investigation and testing we reached the conclusion that the application of an impregnator to outdoor installations is not only totally useless, but, in all too many instances, deleterious to the stone, as well. Stone needs to breathe to endure; it’s a scientific fact that nobody debates. While we’re certainly not generalizing this scientific true (stone doesn’t need to breathe all the time: it must be able to breathe only if the circumstances demand it) the typical case when a stone need to breathe is when set outdoors, especially when installed on grade, which is often the case. That is the reason why all manufacturers of impregnators but me flaunt the “fact” that their impregnator allows up to 95% vapor transmission.

Why don’t we at MB Stone Restoration & Supply do the same?

Because, no matter how hard we tried, we could never find a tool, a device, a contraption or what-have-you that would enable us to conduct any such test on a piece of stone treated with our impregnator.
Why? Because such a device simply does not exist, we believe!

So then, how did our competition ever come up with such bold statement? Well, for starters there’s the magic expression “up to” before the 95% thing; second, if there’s no such a thing like a device to measure the vapor transmission ability of a certain impregnator, there isn’t such a device to verify their statement, either!

It is a fact, however, that nobody is ever denying that an impregnator, while allegedly allowing for “up to” 95% vapor transmission, will slow the transmission of the vapor down dramatically. It makes sense, if you think for a minute.

Now consider this: certain stones set on grade (outdoors or indoors it doesn’t matter) will react funny to vapor transmission coming from beneath them, whether they are sealed or not. So we can have efflorescence, warping, oxidation and even spalling. (Needless to say, if they are sealed the problem will arise even sooner.) But there are certain other stones that will withstand the migration of moisture through their core; i.e.: many a travertine, certain specific slates, many a sandstone, many a limestone, most true geological granite and many a mercantile granite, etc., without any major problem. As long as they’re left in their natural state, though!… In other words, if the moisture developing under those stones has the chance of migrating through them at its natural speed rate, nothing bad will happen. (The formation of some mold and mildew, maybe, especially under humid climate conditions; but it’s no big deal.) But if you dramatically slow down the passage of the moisture by applying an impregnator to the stone, then all bets are off, and even stones that would be problem-free on that department, could become problem-laden and develop unforeseen phenomena with not easy solution, if any at all.

Let’s make no mistake absorbency of stone is a fact indeed, and, under certain circumstances it could represent a problem (although not a dramatic one; after all removing a stain from a stone is usually child-play). Good-quality impregnating sealers can help a great deal. But it must be understood that the reduction of the natural absorbency of the stone is the only feature that anybody can expect from a sealer. No “cocoon” and no other “protection” whatsoever. What’s more, we must above all learn when a sealer is needed or is useless. As further examples, a granite (true geological granite, that is) countertop fabricated for a kitchen usually does need to be sealed. But let’s understand that the sealing is required because of the environment the stone is installed within, not just because of the stone itself. In fact, it wouldn’t make much sense to seal the same granite installed on a formal living room, or a foyer floor (where the likelihood of staining is minimal); as it would make no sense whatever to seal the same granite installed on the walls of a condominium lobby, where the likelihood of staining is totally inexistent. Remember, stone is a product of nature, and the more you leave it alone and don’t tamper with it, the better it is for it! It’s a scientific fact, not this writer’s opinion.

However, what’ most important is the fact that true granites are no more than a dozen stones; a tiny minority compared to the over 2000 type of stones that are traded as granite! Take a couple of dozen of them out as next of kin of granite, and what you’re left with is a huge number of stones with no relation whatsoever to granite and to each other. Many of them have absorbency rates coming in at 0.2 or less. (Some as low as 0.01!) No staining will ever occur to those stones and, of course, they will never absorb any sealer!
But what about all those stains on marble and travertine?

They are NOT stains: they are rather “stains”, that is actual surface damage that only look like stains (see our other helpful hint about stain removal), and no sealer on the marketplace claims to even begin preventing them! As a matter of fact, most marbles and travertine are very dense stones – contrary to popular misconception. Their absorbency is very limited and, in most instances, they don’t need to be sealed. Green Marbles (Serpentinite) do need sealing, when installed in an environment where staining is likely to happen, however.
Is there any easy way to find out if a given stone needs to be sealed?

Yes: just spill a few drops of water on its surface, let it dwell for 5 minutes or so and then wipe it dry. If under where the water had been sitting you will notice a darkening of the stone (it will disappears once the water will evaporates) it means that some of it was absorbed; therefore, if the stone will be installed in an environment prone to staining, the application of a good-quality impregnator will be in order. If not, don’t bother.
In conclusion, like I had the opportunity to state in my other and more formal editorial about stone impregnators, when properly and intelligently applied (stone is a natural product, and no blanket rule ever applies to a natural product), they do solve the problem of medium absorbency stones when installed in an environment where staining is a distinct possibility, but that’s all there is to them. Once again, buying into the possible suggestion that a sealer can do more than that, will inevitably lead to wrong decisions, which in turn will only lead to disappointment.

© ITCS & Maurizio Bertoli – 1996-2008

Maurizio Bertoli is the founder of MB Stone Restoration & Supply, Inc. (www.mbstone.com) and the co-founder and Director of Education of the International Training Centers for the Stone industry (ITCS).

Why would anyone ever clean draperies as they hang in your house? A better question might be why would you ever send them out to a dry cleaner.

In all my years as a cleaner rehanging drapers that have been dry cleaned, I have never seen a single time when they were cleaned in a plant when they didn’t shrink. Draperies are made of natural fibers in most homes we work in. If you goggle up drapery fabrics, you will find some rayon/poly blends, but 90% are silk and cotton or silk. When these two fibers are exposed to moisture they will shrink. The second reason they need to be cleaned in your home is that the ceiling treatments can not be taken down. They are permanent and are not made to be removed. In many cases they are stapled to cornice boards. Draperies are often folded in elaborate patterns that no one will be able to duplicate once removed.

The best way to keep draperies looking great is to periodically vacuum them pleat by pleat. You will need three items to complete this task:

1 – a vacuum with that has a moderate amount of suction that will remove the dust without disturbing the pleating
2 – an attachment that will allow the drapes to be vacuumed without pulling them into the vacuum hose
3 – a safe step ladder. If you have these tools, you are prepared to remove the dust that is the biggest source of soiling on draperies. The dust should release easily unless it is combined with other home environmental residues.

These residues are why you might need a professional cleaner. Cooking oil for example, combined with the previously mentioned dust, create a whole new soil, that wont come out with simple vacuuming.

We clean draperies using two vacuum cleaners. The first is a backpack HEPA filter that removes the bulk of the dust on the draperies. We then apply a cleaner that suspends the soil. The suspended soil is then extracted. The machine is vented outside.

The machines we use have the absolute correct pressure because they are specifically designed for drapery cleaning. To learn more about us, please visit us online at: http://www.fabricmasters.com/draperycleaning.html.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harry_Edenfield

There are several things that complicate life for the carpet cleaner, but the biggest one has got to be the explosion over the last 10 years of white/off white carpet installs. Years ago when I first got into the cleaning business homes were carpeted with a variety of colors – greens, mauve, blue made up the bulk, but there were also rust, browns and even red. Today when we see a colored carpet, we congratulate the owner and tell them they are indeed a rare breed. I would guess if we knocked on 100 doors in our market we would see less than ten with color.

The reasons (and these are anecdotal BTW) for this I believe are twofold: 1- if you are moving (and everybody is moving up these days) a neutral color will make the house easier to sell. 2- the advent of the stain resistant warranty. This also includes the fact some fibers like olefin are sold as stain resistant.

Also what complicates life for the cleaner is that there are so many people that are at home all day. Retirement, unemployment, home offices all cause use to be greater than in days gone by when everybody went to work at 730 and returned home at 530.

So how to deal with the soiled white carpet that the owner is careless with because they have a stain resistant warranty and are home all day because their office has been transferred.

It is our opinion that the elements cleaning must be used as never before. A few of these elements:

1. Vacuuming before cleaning – this is best done with a commercial pile lifter.
2. Pre conditioning using a device that will agitate and lubricate the entire fiber. For this we believe the Cimex is the only product we know of that actually cleans all sides of the fiber because the deck spins both clockwise and counter clockwise.
3. A chemical needs to be applied that will a- clean the carpet and b- not be too high a ph as to void the stain resistant warranty
4. Time for the preconditioner to dwell in the carpet so that the chemical will work. Cleaners will ignore this requirement more than any other.
5. Heat during the extraction process. Notice how many steps we talk about before we even consider using the heated extraction. For me, the extraction is more a finishing step than a sole method of cleaning the carpet.

If the cleaner uses the above factors in proper combination, the cleaning will be excellent.

To learn more about how we clean carpets please visit us online at: http://www.fabricmasters.com/carpetcleaning.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harry_Edenfield

Why should the carpet be vacuumed prior to professional cleaning.

If you have your carpet cleaned professionally, you will not have your carpet vacuumed unless you vacuum yourself.

The need for dry vacuuming is well documented and recognized in various industry guidelines including the IICRC carpet cleaning standard S100. The reason vacuuming the carpet before cleaning is one that has been proven as well as making good common sense. Because most cleaning methods use water at some point to remove suspended soils, it is recommended as much dry soil should be removed as possible before introduction of moisture.

Dry soils include: sand (and other dry soils like clay and feldspar), human and pet hair and skin, and dust. These types of soil are best removed when dry. The correct type of vacuum – one that has a separate motor for the beater bar and the vacuum bag – will separate the carpet fibers and remove these soil.

The beater bar is key here, because the steam cleaner wand or other cleaning device is not designed to separate fibers to remove dry soil. The steam cleaner wand has a slot that glides over the carpet spraying a mist of (hopefully) hot water followed by a vacuum slot. Typically the cleaner applies a water based traffic lane cleaner before this step, so if there is no dry vacuuming before this step, you can pretty much count on the fact you are getting a substandard (remember IICRC S100) cleaning job.

The typical carpet cleaning machine (no matter how large they are) is in reality an enlarged canister vacuum with a water supply. Once this canister vacuum squirts water on the carpet, the ability to remove dry soils is compromised. As I mentioned before this is as much a commonsense argument as it is scientific, and if you think about it, when you get hair wet, it will adhere to another fiber more readily.

If you ask a carpet cleaning technician, they will give you a party line “our units are so powerful that we don’t need to vacuum”. This is repeated many time each day to customers that want to know – deservedly – shouldn’t their carpet be vacuumed first. Trust your instincts on this.

To learn more about carpet cleaning visit http://www.fabricmasters.com/carpetcleaning.html

Many years ago water damage restoration of interior building structures was really primitive compared to how it is done today. In the old days the technician pulled pad or didn’t, installed as much drying equipment as he though was necessary and handled each damage the same way. Standards had not been developed to specify what should be done in every situation.

To say an industry has come a long way is an understatement. After years of careful analysis, today’s drying solutions are based on objective factors like: building size, type and amount of moisture present and materials involved. Precise instruments are used to measure the drying progress so that the technician is sure all moisture has been removed. There are a variety of equipment and solutions available to the contractor to remove water.

When you are evaluating a water damage professional sometimes it is better to look for a person that has the following: 1- certification and training from an independent body like the IICRC. These individuals have been exposed to the basic and in some cases advanced methods of structural drying. 2- the correct type and limits of liability insurance. Many companies doing this work are not insured for claims that arise as a result of improper drying.

The company you choose should also be able to offer excellent references for this type of work. People hate to go through a disaster, but if they have worked with a committed, caring professional; the experience is not nearly as frustrating.

Fast Tube by Casper

This is the test of MB8 stone protector.

The other video shows the application of the product.

I want to say here that MB8 is a fantastic product and does not need to be able to resist low ph chemicals to be a great product.